The door opened. Dom Manton ushered the four older boys into the room. The four young men swaggered. Their lips curled into sneers.
The one with Fire sent flaming balls around
the room. Several passed so close Bran
flinched. The boy with Earth formed
pieces of metal into links and formed a chain he said could be used to choke
someone. The young man with Water brewed
a potion Bran knew was a poison.
The fourth boy spoke. “I am Air and thus leader. I read the winds and tell my circle where to
strike.” A sly glint appeared. “Doma Jandia is angry with you. She wants you to select Dom Manton as your
teacher so she can be rid of you.”
Bran tightened his barriers. Zand broadcast his fear of betrayal. Bran wished he could tell his friend the
older boy lied about the doma. Had Doma
Jandia sent a false message on the wind?
To help Zand regain his calm, the one who had Air had to be shown to be
foolish. “If you can read the winds so
well, can you tell me where the boy who ran away can be found?”
“Why should I? He was a weakling who listened to a
girl. Can you believe she insisted she
had a Earth affinity? Girls can’t have
an affinity. They don’t have the stomach
to fight. If she were still here, she
would have been taken away by the Master on his next visit. He would have sold her as a slave.”
Dom Manton snapped his fingers. “Enough.”
He waved the older quartet from the room. When the door closed behind them he smiled. “Don’t listen to their tales about the
girl. She would have been sent to where
a circle of girls train.”
“Why would they say that?” Bran asked.
“To prove they’re the best.” Dom Manton smiled. “They are but I believe with the right
training you could surpass them.”
“Really?” Bran said.
“Really?” Bran said.
Dom Manton stepped forward. “Are you ready to choose me as your first
teacher? As you heard, Jandia will be
pleased.”
Bran caught overtones in the man’s voice
that made him realize what had been said was a lie. He shook his head.
“No.”
Jay and Zand spoke in unison.
The dom’s smile faded. “By tomorrow you will agree.” He stalked from the room.
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